1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for closing a conduit in case of fire and including a housing having a receptacle for receiving the conduit and attachment sections for receiving fastening elements, a cutting and blocking member arranged in the housing and displaceable, in case of fire, out of the housing through the receptacle to a blocking position for cutting the conduit off and closing same, and a drive element for displacing the cutting and blocking member in case of fire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices of the type described above are used for cutting off and closing of tubular conduits or cable channels, which extend through walls or ceilings, in case of fire. The conduits and channels are formed, in particular, of plastic materials or other materials which yield or soften in case of fire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,641 discloses a fire-stop device having a cutting member displaceable in the device housing and which is driven through a plastic tubular conduit, in case of fire, by drive means. The cutting member is arranged on a slider that closes the tubular conduit. As drive means, e.g., an intumescent material or a spring element is used. The housing is formed of two parts and surrounds the tubular conduit in a mounted condition of the device. To this end, the housing has a circular opening or a receptacle and on which the slide with the cutting member is arranged, sidewise of the receptacle in the initial position of the device. A housing part, which is located opposite the slide, defines a maximal displacement path of the slide.
A drawback of the fire-stop device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,641 consists in that it can be arranged only on a conduit that extends through a wall at a distance from a second wall parallel to the conduit or a ceiling. This is because a backward constructional space for the second housing part should be provided.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for closing conduits or channels in which the foregoing drawback is eliminated, which can be easily mounted, and which provides for a reliable sealing or closing of a tubular conduit, e.g., a plastic tubular conduit which is yieldable in case of fire.